When the Clock Reaches Zero
by tanithcooper
Summary: Thranduil/Kili. Soulmate AU. Everyone in the world is born with a digital clock marked onto their arm, constantly counting down to the second you meet your other half. It just wasn't what Kili expected, and definitely not what Thranduil wanted, believing that his clock was broken long ago...


Thranduil's clock was broken. That's what he believed. He believed that because it was still a few thousand years off when he met his wife, and he loved his wife like he had never loved a being. People told him that fate never falters, and she was not the one, but he didn't believe that. And so when she died, he ignored his clock all together. There seemed no point in waiting when he had already lost his soul mate. It was no observation of his, then, when a young Dwarf with the demeanour of a royal was thrust before his throne, and beneath his silvery sleeve his clock hit all zeros.

Kili had always dreamed of meeting his one. Stories of people falling instantly in love as soon as they set their eyes on each other. Many a night had he fallen asleep watching the seconds fall down, knowing that he would meet him soon. So when he felt a slight burn on his wrist, he pulled it out of the blonde prince's hand, looking at the stopped timer before looking around desperately at the gathering of elves. "Who is it?! Please, I need to know! Someone's clock has stopped, please just look!" he cried out before Legolas placed his hand over the young dwarf's mouth.

Raising a delicate brow, Thranduil discreetly turned his arm around and checked under his sleeve, every one of his subjects freezing. His stomach churned and his eyes grew wide, and he feigned shaking his head. He sent a dubious glance the Dwarf's way. _No. Bad clock. Work._ Shaking his arm gently to get it working again, he raised a hand in prevention, upon which the guards backed from Kili. "You're... You... You've got to be joking me." he muttered as Thranduil walked towards him, Kili still down on his knees in front of the elf.

Thranduil gently took Kili's face, lifting it to look into his eyes. "I don't joke about matters of the heart. And it would seem...neither do your precious deities." He spoke softly, before turning away and returning to his throne. "Show him to a room."

Kili was pulled up gently by the prince, a startling difference to a few minutes prior, leading him down the stairs and through winding corridors, being left in a sitting room type area. A door leading through to an extravagant bed, another door that seemed to be locked and a small staircase down to reveal a naturally heated pool, sides racked with sweet smelling liquids. He returned upstairs and sat down on a sofa, curling into himself.

When Thranduil was lead to the room that Kili was placed in he made himself instantly comfortable, pouring himself a glass of wine and Kili some ale before sitting on the sofa next to him. He crossed his legs and sighed, every bit the King. "I pray you will excuse my inhospitality, but I thought I had already met my soul mate a long time ago." He shook his head and turned to face Kili. "So. What are we going to do?"

Kili looked down at the ale, drinking it slowly. "I... I don't know. Bad blood between dwarfs and elves. But I did not live through that, nor do I hold a grudge against you. I'm willing to try this?" he said truthfully, looking up into Thranduil's eyes.

Thranduil sighed and closed his eyes. He wasn't sure what he wanted to hear. He thought maybe it wasn't that, maybe he wanted the Dwarf to hate him, and go away, and leave him to his pining. But if he was wrong then the others were right, and that meant that Kili was his soul mate. He smiled softly. "It can't hurt to try."

Kili nodded, looking back down into his ale thoughtfully. "I will have to send word to Erebor." he murmured, sipping his drink carefully. "Where do we go from here then?"

"What...what do possible soul mates do?" Thranduil asked thoughtfully, leaning back and sipping the wine. "When they first meet..."

"I.. I don't know. I was always told that you would have love on first sight, but I don't think that happened, do you?" Kili said with a timid smile.

"I'm sorry for ruining this for you." Thranduil sighed dejectedly, running a slender finger around the rim of his glass. "You must have had so many fantasies and sleepless nights, just watching your clock and you're stuck with me." He laughed.

"Hey, you're not bad for an elf." he grinned. "Besides, it could have been an orc." he said, relaxing slightly. "It's okay though. I think that perhaps we could at least be friends if this doesn't work out?"

"I'd like that. There's a ball coming up that will give us a chance to bond." Thranduil smiled, drinking down the wine as if it were water, before standing and bowing. "Until tomorrow."

"That would be nice. I shall see you - Wait! I don't know how to dance!" Kili said, getting up and placing the glass on the table.

Thranduil turned around on his heels and raised an amused brow. "Then I shall have someone teach you."

Kili nodded before bowing from the waist, smiling at the elf as he walked through the door

* * *

We have a new fic! I can't say when it will next be updated, but it will probably be soon.#

Thanks for reading,  
Tanith and Tam


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